Securing device for rubber shoes.



No. 820,033. PATENTED MAY 8, 1906. c. A. WOOLLEN. SECURING DEVICE FORRUBBER SHOES.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG-14, 1905.

' tion of the shoe.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON A. WOOLLEN, OF MATTOON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ERNESTW. BAREUTHER, OF MATTOON, ILLINOIS.

SECURING DEVICE FOR RUBBER SHOES- Specification of Letters Patent.

ratentecr May 8, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLINTON A. WooLLEN, residing at Mattoon, in thecounty of Ooles and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Securing Devices for Rubber Shoes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to the ordinary rubber overshoe, and has for itsobject to hold the rubber shoe in place on the leather shoe and preventaccidental removal therefrom and by exerting pressure at the rear of therubber shoe to render the easy disengagement of the rubber from theshoe.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinationof parts here- 'inafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a leather shoe havingthereon a rubber shoe broken out on one side to show the securing deviceof the present invention; Fig. 2, a detail showing the position thesecuring device assumes when pressure is exerted on the rear of therubber for the purpose of removal, and Fig. 3 a face view of thesecuring device.

As shown, an ordinary leather shoe A has fitted thereon a rubberovershoe B, upon the inside of the rear portion of which is located asecuring device C of present invention. The securing device is made of asingle piece of metal, has an upper portion D, a lower portion E, and acentral or intermediate portion F. The upper portion of the uppersection D has a rearward curvature and is, as shown, provided on its endwith two prongs or tines G for engaging the fabric on the inside of therubber shoe, and the lower portion has an outward curvature forming acatch H, which enters into the recess formed at the juncture of the heeland the body por- The central or intermediate portion F is bent at itslower end to conform to the bend of the lower portion of the uppersection, thus serving to reinforce the catch H, and its upper end bracesagainst the wall of the overshoe at a point intermediate of the upperand lower ends of the fastening device. The lower portion E is bent toconform to the upper portion of the central or intermediate section andprojects downwardly in diagonal relation to the catch H and has at itslower end prongs or tines I, Which engage the fabric of the heel of therubber shoe. It will thus be seen that the intermediate portion F servesto keep the upper projecting portion D in a normally forwardly sprungposition, as shown in Fig. 1, and keeps the catch H in constantengagement with the niche or recess of the shoe. As shown in Fig. 2,when pressure is exerted at the rear of the rubber at a point J theintermediate portion bearing against the rear face of the upper portionwill cause the upper portion to straighten out, disengaging the catch Hfrom the niche or recess in the shoe, allowing the rubber to bewithdrawn. The curvature of the upper portion. forms a surface overwhich the leather shoe will slide easily, not interfering with itsinsertion into the rubber.

The device as shown is designed or intended for use with a rubber shoeafter the shoe has been made but it is evident that the device could beapplied to a rubber shoe in process or construction, in which case theends of the upper and lower portions can be embedded or fixed directlyin the rubber shoe, so as to be a permanent part thereof, leaving theoperating portion of the device intact.

In use for a rubber shoe already made the device is engaged with therear or heel end of the body of the rubber shoe by means of the tines orprongs or otherwise, so as to have a fixed relation within the rubbershoe. The leather shoe is forced into the rubber shoe as usual and whenfully in place the catch H will be in its normally forwardly sprungposition to engage the niche or recess between the heel and body of theleather shoe and furnish a lock which will prevent the rubber shoe fromslipping off. The rubber shoe is removed by exerting -a pressure eitherby hand or the opposite foot against the back of the rubber on the upperportion of the device, by which the intermediate and upper portion willstraighten and in so doing withdraw the catch H from its engagement withthe niche or recess of the leather shoe, so that the latter can beremoved. This operation is the same whether the device is formedindependent of the rubber shoe and thereafter inserted in place or isformed as a fixture in the making of the rubber shoe, as with both formsof construction the catch H will engage the niche or recess of theleather shoe and hold the rubber shoe in place.

The device is simple in construction and at the same time is durable andfully operative for the purpose intended and does not interfere with theeasy insertion of the leather shoe into the rubber shoe.

The device is easily ap lied to a rubber shoe already made, it onlybeing necessary to engage the points or tines at its top and bottom endswith the material of the rubber shoe, and where the device is detachableit can be easily inserted and removed, if so desired.

The device will yield for the insertion of the leather shoe, and at thesame time a pressure on the upper portion will withdraw the catch, sothat the rubber shoe can be taken off without destroying or impairingthe rubber shoe.

The formation is one by which the device can be used with any style ofrubber shoe and in operation the device will not in any way injure orimpair either the rubber shoe or the leather shoe.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A securing device for rubber shoes, formedof a single piece of metalhaving upper, lower and intermedlate connecting portlons, the upper andlower portions belng arranged 1n substantially parallel relation to oneanother and the intermediate connecting portion being in a diagonalposition with respect to the upper and lower portions, the jointure H ofthe upper and intermediate connecting portions forming a catch adaptedto be normally held in a forwardly-sprung position and to engage a nicheor recess formed at the juncture of the heel and body portion of theshoe, the j ointure F of the intermediate and lower sections forming abearing against the face of the overshoe, the catch H adapted to bewithdrawn from the niche or recess by pressure exerted on the upperportion, and the upper and lower ends of the upper and lower portionsrespectively having a fixed connection with the rubber to hold thedevice in place, substantially as described.

CLINTON A. WOOLLEN.

Witnesses:

WM. MORAN, Jr, EDWARD C. CRAIG.

